Wire coil container



May 29, 1951 A. B. DAHLE WIRE COIL CONTAINER Filed Oct. 2a, 1946 2 36 44 .zz J4 IN V EN TOR. f kaezer 05/145 M, A-M r- Arron/vex Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE con. CONTAINER Albert Bertin Dahle, Madison, Wis.

Application October 28, 1946, Serial No. 706,235

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a container arranged to receive a coil of wire and adapted not only for use as a shipping box but also to dispense wire from the coil as needed.

Electrical conductive insulated wire is ordinarily supplied by the manufacturer in coils which are boxed, the wire being withdrawn by the electrician through a hole in the center of the box top. Pulling the wire from the coil at right angles in this fashion causes the wire to issue in kinks. This is undesirable, and it is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a coil of insulated wire from which the wire may be withdrawn evenly as needed and without kinking.

A further object is to provide a wire shipping and dispensing receptacle which is light in weight and may readily be opened, if desired, to permit the introduction of a fresh coil of wire. Still another object is to provide a container of the foregoing character with inexpensive means which permits excess wire pulled from the coil to be readily rewound thereon without opening the container.

The nature of these as well as other objects of the present invention will be clearly understood on considering the following description and appended claims, as well as the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a view in perspective showing in disassembled relationship the elements comprising a wire dispensing container embodying the features of the present invention, a coil of wire being shown in a position ready for insertion in the container.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through the center of the container illustrated in Fig. 1, the elements of the container being here assembled, with the coil of wire in position in the container.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective illustrating the manner in which the wire is dispensed from the container illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective showing in disassembled relationship elements comprising a modified form of dispensing container embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View through the center of still another modified form of dispensing container embodying the features of the present invention.

- Referring more in detail to the drawing:

The form of container illustrated in Figs. 1-3 comprises a box having a front panel l0, side panels H, a rear panel I2, a bottom l3, and a top I4 hingeably supported by rear panel H2. The side panels H hav flaps I5 arranged to be infolded beneath the cover i4, while the latter member carries a forwardly disposed flap 16 which is inserted behind the front panel Ill when the cover is closed. The bottom I3 is pressed upwardly at its central portion to provide a boss ll. Boss I7 is of extent to occupy at least one-third the width of the box in order to provide a wide base to substantially directly support the wire coil 2|.

A disk 98 is rotatably carried on the bottom !3, the disk having a boss i9 complementary to boss ll. The periphery of disk 18 lies adjacent the panels H], H and I2, the panels being substantially tangential to the periphery of the disk, and when the disk is fitted within the box, boss ii nests within the boss l9. Disk [8 carries tubular core means 20, one end of which is mounted on the disk about the periphery of boss it). This tube extends substantially the full depth of the box, the upper end of the tube lying close to cover l4 when the latter member is in the closed position. i

A coil of wire 2! to be shipped in and'dispensed from the container described above is placed over the tube 20 and rests on disk 18, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A free wire end 22 is then passed through an aperture 23 in one of the panels of the box. In the form of device illustrated, this aperture is placed at one side of front panel H), the aperture preferably being so placed as to be more or less in alignment with the peripheral portion of the coil at which the wire leaves the coil as it is unwound. Such a structure permits the wire to be withdrawn in a straight condition and it is not bent as it passes through the aperture 23.

As the wire is pulled from the coil through the aperture, disk !8 turns freely over bottom iii, a lubricant, such as graphite or soapstone, being used if desired to reduce the friction between the bearing surfaces of these members. Tube 20 serves to maintain the form of the coil at all times, thereby making it impossible for the wire to become kinked within the container through collapse of any of the loops comprising the coil.

To facilitate the rewinding onto the coil of any surplus wire which may have been withdrawn from the container, the boss i9 is centrally provided with a disk 24 fixed to it and carrying a bolt 25 socketed to receive the head of an Allen Wrench or the like, bosses El and 59 being relieved to accommodate said bolt. Access is gained to bolt 25 through an opening 25 provided 3 in the center of top M. This structure proves to be a convenient one, for all that an electrician needs to do when rewinding a length of wire is to insert the head of a suitable wrench through the cover to a position of engagement with the bolt, and as the latter is turned, the disk 18 is rotated and with it the coil 2|.

The structure of the box employed in the modi fied form of invention illustrated in Fig. 4 is like that illustrated in Figs. 1-3. However, the tube member 20- illustrated in Fig. l, is not mounted to the coil supporting disk It but is instead secured to a square flange member 21 which will lie just below top 54 when the latter is in the closed position. In this form of device, the disk I8 turns with the coil 21 as wire is Withdrawn therefrom, but the tube 23 remains stationary. In loading the container, the tube 2 3 and its flange 27 are first removed and the coil is inserted; the tube is then fitted down within the coil until it rests against disk is.

The containers illustrated in Figs. 1-4 may conveniently be fabricated of fiber board or a corrugated paper material, the bosses Il and is being stamped by a conventional pressing operation. However, other materials than paper may obviously be used. When the container is to be made of metal, I prefer to employ the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 5. The box there shown comprises like-shaped top and bottom sec tions 29, 30 having square central panels 3|, 32 each provided with a depending peripheral skirt 33, 34. The sections 2%, 3!) are hinged to one another at 85, and are secured in the closed position by means of a hasp 38. Each of the panels 3!, 32 is centrally depressed to provide opposed bosses 37, 38. A disk 39, having a boss 4% complementary to boss 31, and carrying a central upstanding tube 41, seats adjacent the panel 3| and may be rotated thereover. Supported over the tube M isa disk 42 which, like disk 39, is provided with a boss 53 complementary to boss 38 on panel member 32. Disk 42 carries a relatively short depending tube at which fits within tube 4|. The tubes ll and 4 are preferably keyed to one another, tube 4! being shown as having an interior lug G5 which is receivable within a slot 46 in tube 46. The various bosses on the panel and disk members are apertured at their center, and boss All carries a bolt 41 which is socketed at each of its ends.

When using the form of container illustrated in Fig. 5, the sections are opened and the disk 42 is removed. The coil of wire is then placed over tube ll, it resting on disk 39, and a free wire end is passed out through an aperture (not shown) in a side of the box. The disk 62 is then replaced, with lug 45 sliding into slot 68, and the sections are closed and locked together. It is a feature of this form of container that it will dispense the wire equally well whether panel 3i or panel 3-! is uppermost. When in the position illustrated in Fig. 5,. the disk 39 supports the coil, and when the container is turned over, disk "52 becomes the coil supporting member. In either position the coil is supported for rotational movement, with the tube ii serving to space the sides of the coil. When this container is loaded with wire, the electrician may simply drop it onto. the floor and it is always ready to perform its dispensing function. The socketed bolt ll is fully accessible from either side of the container, registering apertures 26! and 262 being provided in the cover boss 38 and the boss 43 of the removable reel end disk 42,

4 respectively. Turning of the bolt serves to rotate both disk 39 as well as disk 22 since the respective tubes 4| and 34 are keyed together. Accordingly, wire may readily be rewound on the coil in whatever position of the container simply by turning bolt ll.

It will be observed that with each form of device illustrated herein, there is provided an enclosed receptacle the bottom of which is centrally provided with an inwardly directed boss which nests within a complementary boss carried on a coil supporting disk rotatably mounted within the receptacle. Tube means are provided in each case to prevent collapse of the coils, as are the socketed members which are fixed to the coil supporting disks and are accessible from without the container to permit of turning the disks to rewind any surplus wire onto the coils, All forms disclosed provide non-kinking rotatable supports in forms sufficiently inexpensive to be disposable, a separate turntable being built into each shipping case.

I claim:

1. A wire dispensing container comprising, in combination, a box having side, top and bottom members, one of said side members having a wire dispensing aperture therein, and said bottom member having a centrally positioned integral deformed portion constituting an inwardly directed boss inwardly convex and externally concave and of extent to occupy at least onethird the width of the box, a disk rotatably mounted withm said box and having a boss complementary to and in bearing engagement with that or said bottom, the disk being dependent upon said boss engagement for rotative support, and an upright tubular core means mounted on said disk closely adjacent the periphery of the boss thereon and extending substantially the full depth or the container, said container being arranged to support a coil of wire onsaid disk, and about said core closely adjacent the supporting boss and to dispense wire from the coil through said aperture.

2. The container of claim 1 in further combination with a flange mounted on the upper end of said tubular core, said flange being arranged to engage the side panels of the box to prevent rotation of the tubular core.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein said top member is centrally apertured, in further combination with a tool receiving means fixed to the disk near the center of the boss on said disk.

4. A wire dispensing container comprising, in combination a box consisting of top and bottom sections hingedly connected along one adjacent margin thereof, said sections having substantially square central panels forming the top and bottom of the box and having skirt portions depending from said panels forming the sides of the box, one of said box sides being provided with a wire dispensing aperture, and said panels having inwardly directed, opposed bosses formed in the central portions thereof; a pair of spaced disks rotatabiy supported within said box, each disk being positioned adjacent one of said panels and having a boss therein complementary to that on the respective adjacent panel, and tubular means mounted on each of said disks, said tubular means being arranged to maintain the disks in spaced relationship.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein the tubular means on the respective disks are interlocked against relative rotational movement.

6. The container of claim 4 wherein adjacent bosses on at least one of said panels and its adjacent disk are centrally apertured, in further combination with a tool receiving means mounted at the center of the boss on the other of said disks.

7. A wire dispensing container comprising, in combination, a box having side members and top and bottom face members and provided in one of said members with a wire dispensing aperture, one of said face members comprising sheet material of at least approximately uniform thickness throughout its extent with a central integral deformed portion projecting convexly into the box and externally concave, the said portion constituting a bearing boss of extent to occupy at least one-third the width of the box, together with a rotatable support for a coil of wire, said support comprising a reel disk having a boss complementary to, and in bearing engagement with, the said face member boss and dependent on such engagement for rotative position within the box,

the said support further comprising core means centered upon the disk and closely adjacent the periphery of the supporting boss to locate a coil of wire in proximity to the supporting boss and upon the disk to be dispensed through said aperture.

ALBERT BERTIN DAHLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 441,454 Vileyn Nov. 25, 1890 633,404 Warburton Sept. 19, 1899 1,850,074 Crandall Mar. 22, 1932 1,880,633 Wittel Oct. 4, 1932 2,042,311 Hirsch May 26, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 670,937 Germany Jan. 28, 1939 

